Social policy trends: THE MINIMUM WAGE AND HOUSING AFFORDABILITY

Legislating a minimum wage is based on the belief that someone working full time ought to be able to afford life’s necessities. Few would argue that one of the most important of life’s necessities is housing. In this report we investigate what the minimum wage needs to be for a single person to remain housed. We focus on single people because they comprise the majority of people living in poverty and who are at risk of losing housing. We focus on the cost of a studio apartment as this is one of the least expensive housing options for a single person.&nbsp